Counterpoise



July 3, 1923.

5. P. JOYCE COUNTERPOISE Filed y 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet vl 21 m BRYAN P. JQYCE.

Petented'July 3,1923.

4 UNITED sum rac sm PATENT ore-ms.

' BRYAN 1 JoYoE, ornnvnivron'r, Iowa.

COUNTERIPOISE.

'1 application filed Hay 7,1923. Serial No. 687,244.

I man man THE Aer or mach s, 1883, 22 sun I.., 625.)

Counterpoise, of which the following is a" specification.

' The invention described herein may be ,used by the Government, or any of its officars or employees in prosecution of'work forthe Government, or by any other person in the United. States, without payment to -me of any royalty thereon, in accordance': with the act of March 3, 1883. The subjectof this invention is a counter poise intended, primarily, for use on guns Susceptible of high elevation, though not restricted to such use. Themain object of the invention is the provision of a counterpoise,.'the 'force ex-" erted by which will vary as the part which it'is counterbalancing is rocked about its axis, the variation in such force being approximately proportional to the variations in the fo exerted by the gravity tending to tu'1 n he counterbalanced part about axis. Y

further object of the invention is the sion of a simple and eflici'ent counterso k With theforegoing and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel arran'gementand. combination of parts and in:

"the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood F'that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosedmay bemade within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the in-' vention. 1

. A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawin ,Wherein:

ig. 1 is a view ingsideelevation of a gun mount-with a counterpoise constructed I in accordance withmy inventi'on in place thereon, a fragment of the beingshown on themou'nt; the elevate position" of the gun and-the, position assumed by the unterpoise when the is in elevation being indicatedil dQtted. lines;

1 tween the diap ragm 27 and asuitable grease seal.

Fig. 2 is 'a longitudinal section of .the counterpoise Fig. 3 is a lower counterpoise; and' g Fig. 4 is a head end-elevation. 1

Referring to-the drawings by numerals of reference: j

In carrying out my invention I provide a gunmount 10, having an upper carriagefi 5 11 formed with a bracket 12 in which is provided a recess 13, preferably hemispherical.

end elevation of the In the upper "carriage the trunnions 14,

only one 0 which is shown,-about which the gun 15 oscillates when elevated are journaled, and rigidly secured to each trun; nion are arms 16 the outer ends of which are apertured to receive trunnions 17 ex-' tending from a trunnion band 18, which is secured to acounterpoise casing 19 the-upper end of which is closed by a head 20, provided with a valve 21, through which fluid under pressure, conveniently com: pressed/air, may be admitted to the interior of the counterpoise casing. The lower of the casings has secured thereto anapertured, head 22 to which is fastened one end of a collapsible tubing 23, the other end of which is secured to an apertured disk 24 which disk is fastened to a tubular plunger 25 which is reciprocable within the casing. The'purpose of the collapsible tube 23 1s to protect the plunger 25 from dust and other foreign substances. The plunger 25 has secured to its inner end an apertured head-26 and at a suitable point within the plunger is secured a diaphragm 27, thus providing a com ressed air chamber 28be- .The grease sealyis preferablyformed by providing a packing ring carrying the packing '29 and having apertures 30 formed therein through which grease may. pass about the packing-to properl. lubricate the I same, the packing being prefbrably held place by'the ring 31 which is securedin g,

'the lower end of the casing 19; A packing ring 32 rests against an annular rib 33 formed in. the casing '19 and provides the et er e l a? t e g a chamber end is secured the apertured plug 37 flanged to extend beyond the plunger and overlie a packing 38 which is provided with an aperture normally closed by a screw plug' 39 through which aperture grease may be forced to a grease chamber 40 formed between the plunge-rs and 36 andthe packing' ring 38 and a packing 41. Fluid under pressure, conveniently compressed air, may be forced through a valve 42 into the chamber 43 formed in the hollow plunger 36 and the space between the packing 38 and the diaphragm 37 of the hollow plunger 25. The projecting end of the plunger 36 is of spherical formation to be received in the recess 13 of the bracket 12 in which it will have a slight rocking movement.

\ The plunger 36 is guided in its movement by the packing and also by a ring 45 which surrounds thisplunger and is secured in the lower end of the plunger 25. When the plunger 36 is moved to its innermost position within the plunger 25 a flange 46 formed 'on the plunger contacts this ring 45 and so limits the movement of the plunger 36 with respect to the plunger 25 and also forms a support for the plunger 25 when respective movementtakes place between the plunger 25 and the casing 19.

. I claim 1. The combination with a gun carriage having a bracket provided with a socket and a trunnion journaled in the carriage, of arms secured to the'trunnion, a hollow casing, trunnions secured to the casing and journaled in the arms, a hollow plunger slidable in the, casing, a diaphragm secured in the hollow plunger, the spaces between the diaphragm, plunger and. the casing formin an air' chamber, packing between the casing and plunger forming a grease seal chamber, a second hollow plunger within the first plunger, the hollow portion of said second plunger in communication with the interior of the first plunger to provide an air chamber, packing between the plungers forming a grease seal chamber and an end on the second plunger formed to seat inthe socket.

2. The combination with a gun carriage having .a bracket provided with a socket and a trunnion journaled .in the carriage, of arms secured to the trunnion, a hollow casing, trunnions secured to the casing and journaled in the arms, a plunger slidable within the casing and forming therewith a chamber for. fluid under pressure, a' second plunger slidable' within the first plunger and forming therewith a chamber for fluid under pressure and an end on the.second plunger to engage the socket for pivotal movement therein.

3. The combination with a gun carriage having a bracket provided with a socket and a trunnion journaled in the carriage, of arms secured to the trunnion, a hollow casing, trunnions secured to-the, casing and journaled in the arms, fluid pressure actuated plungers reciprocable within the easing, the mean effective pressure of the fluid on the plungers varying to cause the plungers to act successively and .an end formed on one of the plungers seated in the socket for oscillationtherein.

4. The combination with a gun carriage provided with a. socket and a trunnion journaled in the carriage, of arms secured to the trunnion, a casing, trunnions carried by the casing and journaled in the arms, successively movable plungers within the casing and an end on one of the plungers seated in the socket for oscillatory movement therein.

- BRYAN P. JOYCE. 

